Preview: IRB U20 Final

It has been billed as the 'Dream Final' and there is little doubt it will be a cracker when SA host NZ in the IRB Junior World Championships showpiece at Newlands on Friday.

It has been billed as the 'Dream Final' and there is little doubt it will be a cracker when South Africa host New Zealand in the IRB Junior World Championships showpiece at Newlands on Friday.

It has been building up steadily since the tournament started earlier this month, when both teams stumbled in their opening matches - the Bokkies losing to Ireland and the Baby Blacks went down to Wales.

That loss, by the young Kiwis, was their first (and only) defeat since the tournament changed age groups (from Under-19 and Under 21 combined into Under-20) and became the IRB Junior World Championships in 2008.

Now, in the words of NZ coach Rob Penney: "The final can't come quick enough."

The Baby Boks received a timely boost with the return of first-choice, fit-again captain Wiaan Liebenberg - who missed the final pool match against England due to a wrist injury and then came off the bench in the semifinal against Argentina. He replaces Shaun Adendorff, who moves to the bench.

Paul Jordaan and William Small-Smith, who suffered hamstring and knee injuries, respectively, against Argentina, will be replaced by Raymond Rhule on the wing and Kobus van Wyk at outside centre.

Rhule scored two tries in the semifinal win over Argentina after, replacing Jordaan, while Van Wyk will play his first match of the tournament.

According to Liebenberg the South Africans can't wait for the match.

"It is a dream final for us," the Baby Bok captain said.

"Any match between South Africa and New Zealand is always something special and for us to play the defending champions in the final is the best challenge we could have faced.

"We respect New Zealand, but we have committed ourselves as a squad to become the first South African team to win the Junior World Championships. We are not backing down on that."

Theron expressed satisfaction with the team's final preparations.

"We are ready for the final," the coach said, adding: "It will be a massive occasion and a huge honour for the team to contest a final in front of a home crowd.

"We worked very hard to get to this point and we now want to finish the campaign on a winning note."

Theron added that the Baby Boks would have to take their opportunities, should they want to win against a strong New Zealand side. "When it gets to finals you've got to take your opportunities, you've got to limit mistakes, you've got to be very, very aggressive.

"They [the players] have to be focused for 80 minutes.

"The main thing is that you take your opportunities and discipline in defence will be a key factor too."

Kiwi coach, Penney, spoke of the excitement and nerves going into a big final.

"The expectations for the boys - with the Silver Fern on their chest - is really high," Penney said.

"These guys just want to emulate what the other [NZ U20] teams have done in the past [winning the past four finals], so at the moment there are a few sleepless nights and a bit of anxiety... the final can't come quick enough."

He added that playing against the Junior Springboks, the traditional foe of All Black rugby, simply added to the occasion.

"To be able to play at Newlands, against the [Baby] Boks, is a daunting task for the [junior] All Blacks side," the coach said.

"These young boys haven't experienced that before and they are searching deeply for some security.

"If you think about the number of people who have already bought tickets, over 30,000, and the Newlands stadium is just a cauldron .

"Hopefully we've done enough work behind the scenes to prepare them for this."

The New Zealand mentor spoke of two key areas where the final would be won or lost.

"They [South Africa] are a big side and a dynamic side, they have a lot of physicality, so our ability to deal with that is a critical one.

"Our ability to generate some possession and use it intelligently well be key.

"It is going to be a tight game, and our ability to capitalise on any opportunity that fall our way is going to be equally as critical.

* Of course, there are other matches on Friday as well - with play-offs from playing for third place to twelfth position.

The second biggest match of the day will see the losing semifinalists, Wales and Argentina, go head-to-head in a Newlands curtain raiser.

Wales Under-20 head coach Danny Wilson has urged his team to finish their campaign with a flourish against Argentina on Friday. After claiming a shock 9-6 victory over defending champions New Zealand in the pool stages, Wales were beaten 30-6 by the rejuvenated Baby Blacks in the semifinals at Newlands.

But Wilson insists there is plenty to be proud of from the campaign in South Africa and issued a battle cry ahead of the third-place play-off with the Pumas.

"The scoreline is far from a disgrace against the four-times champions, but the players have stated that they are determined to go out on Friday and win our final match to finish third in the world," said Wilson.

"That is something no other Welsh team has done and we will prepare as well as we have done for every other game in order to do that."

All the matches and available teams for the final day's action (June 22):
(Kick-offs are local time - GMT plus two hours)